Teachers' conceptions of excellent teaching and its relationships to self-reported teaching practices

This study surveyed Chinese middle school (n = 951) teachers' conceptions of excellent teaching and examined the relationship of those conceptions to their self-reported teaching practices. Responses were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. These teachers identified one examination-oriented dimension and four interactive, pedagogical dimensions of excellent teaching and four dimensions of teaching practice. The structural model indicated a high consistency rate (83%) between teachers' conceptions of excellent teaching and the corresponding self-reported practices. Implications for teaching standards, teacher professional development, and examination system are discussed.

► Survey validated new Teachers' Conceptions of Excellent Teaching inventory.
► Chinese middle school teachers identified 5 factors for excellent teaching.
► Student-oriented ideas of excellence were endorsed more than examination success.
► Excellence factors predicted similar importance of factors of teaching practices.
► The professionalism factor predicted both examination and student-engagement practices.